


Weight in Gold

by slowjaems



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M, pirate!donghyuck, pirate!jaemin, pirate!jisung, piratecaptain!jaemin, prince!jeno
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 14:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17082431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slowjaems/pseuds/slowjaems
Summary: "There is travesty in having never tasted wealth. And there is travesty when the hero falls for the villain with his heart set on millions."After shipwrecking in the docks of one of the most prosperous cities, pirate captain Na Jaemin, in desperate need of coin to fix his ship, devises a plan to make himself the cities' most wealthiest man - too bad the cities' prince has made it his mission to stop him.





	Weight in Gold

**Author's Note:**

> \- mages = magic users  
> \- sovereigns = gold coins, the highest form of currency, 1 sovereign = 100 silver = 10,000 copper  
> \- the location of the cities/provinces in this is different in real life since this is an alternate universe. in this story, a majority of the cities/provinces are port cities and are accessed by an ocean (which i have yet to name lol) that surrounds them.

 

 

 

 

The docks were crowded. But such was to be expected on an early June morning. Summer signified clear, sunny skies and a calm sea that was perfect for sailing. It was during this time that the world of trade thrived. Every trading port was crowded with people: vendors, ship crews and their captains, and the customers, eager to get in on the new imports and deals. The sea was full of ships, freights, fishing boats, and even small, homemade boats of the countrymen, who were equally as eager to make a profit while the sun was still present, and the seas were still manageable. Of course, the most prosperous of the numerous port cities in Korea was that of Seoul. Surrounded by a pellucid ocean of gentle waves resembling the finest silk layered beneath a scintillating sun, it left many travelers in awe as their ships neared the cities docks. There had been much talk among the lands about the city of great beauty and prosperity where everyone flourished, even the poor, trade never faltered, conflict was squandered as it arrived, and the lands were not the only thing ethereal, but the people as well. The city had only been recently built, but already had a rich history, had established itself as the world’s top trading center, and had grew to become a place of dreams.

Na Jaemin never had his sights set on Seoul. Instead, he had pinpointed on several of his ship’s maps that of Bucheon. From what he had heard the place was in political upheaval, the city guards could barely keep the crime contained which meant a lot of looting and underhandedness took place, which was perfect for the likes of Jaemin and his crew. Of course, the whole being an eighteen-year-old pirate captain thing was still so very new to him. Their old ship captain had attempted to steal the princesses’ crown in Jeju to sell on the black market in Daegu. He had been caught, courtesy of his own bragging on the docks before their departure. The man was immediately imprisoned and currently being held until someone could fork up half a million sovereigns for his release. Seeing as they barely had ten sovereigns to their name (and after a rather nasty threat from the King that he’d throw them in prison right beside their beloved captain if they didn’t leave immediately), Jaemin and the rest of his crewmates had no other choice but to leave without the ship captain.

That night, in the midst of a rather brutal storm that rocked the ship carelessly between its violent waves, an argument had broken out on who would be the ship’s new captain. Anxiety and tensions had let to an almost brawl that was quickly dispelled when Lee Donghyuck, who was annoyed that someone had knocked over his cup of tea, unsheathed his daggers and calmly told them he would behead them all if they didn’t be quiet. He then proceeded to explain that seniority came in based on who had joined the ship first, and that’s when everyone’s eyes landed on Na Jaemin, who was pouting at Park Jisung because the younger didn’t want to play cards with him. This of course led to those who were a few years older than Jaemin to protest, but one sharp look from Donghyuck and the brief waving of one of his daggers silenced them almost immediately. And so, it had been settled. Though it didn’t seem like it, Jaemin was the first to join _The Black Rose_.

He had been an orphan in a dying city, covered in dirt, grime, and littered with sickness when their ships former captain Dohyun had found him one particularly rainy night as he roamed the city in his drunken state. He had immediately taken Jaemin in, claiming that he was reminded of himself when he was younger, poverty stricken and hopeless. And when he sobered up, he taught Jaemin everything there was to know about thievery, conning, and the importance of wealth. Next came self-defense and fighting, which mostly consisted of Dohyun angering a group of bandits and alleyway thugs and leaving Jaemin with two measly daggers and a few unfamiliar poisons to defend himself. Though the technique itself was brutal, he quickly became a master in the art of street fighting, daggers, and poison making. After this came matters of the sea, which meant sneaking on freights to other port cities. In the sweltering heat of being cramped between several boxes Dohyun would test Jaemin on all the matters of sailing: how to identify a storm in its beginning stages, how to safely escape a sinking ship, what to do in case of an attack. This went on for several months until Jaemin could answer without so much as a blink or pause, but most importantly until they were able to precure their ship: The Black Rose. It had been pure luck really. They had been at the docks in Gwanju, prepared to sneak on a freight headed for Ulsan when a fight broke out among two rival ship crews. In the midst of swords clashing and careless, callous words being thrown, Dohyun had shouted for Jaemin to follow him, and the then fourteen-year-old had done so without second thought.  They had snuck behind the fighting men onto what Dohyun would soon rename _The Black Rose_. And then, they would immediately set sail for their first destination: Ulsan.

Ulsan was just the first of many stops, but _The Black Rose_ seemed to grow at each city port. Pretty soon, it was no longer Dohyun and Jaemin, but they had also garnered a pretty noteworthy crew like Lee Donghyuck, who had stolen the prince of Makpo’s satin boots at a winter festival and Park Jisung, one of the youngest but most skilled archers they had ever seen. The ship seemed to come to life and it went from quiet, early mornings with Jaemin and Dohyun eating bowls of rice on the deck in silence to waking up to outright brawls, the clashing of iron daggers and the chill of soju as they knocked over bottles, the glass shattering among their loud, raucous shouts. Though their crew was loud and aggressive, they were equally as talented. No one just walked onto _The Black Rose_ , not without an impressive feat to their name. On board were some of the most notorious thieves, criminals, and rogues in Korea. And Jaemin had never seen so much talent in one place: poison-making, trap-making, lockpicking, stealing, the list was endless. It was almost silly how easy it was. Their captain would trace his fingers along the globe in his private quarters, and then, after a bit of thought, he’d point to a place at random before rattling off a plan.  

“ _Suwon is in political upheaval, we can steal from all of the nobles while they fight for the crown. Suncheon is in the country, at the sight of our weapons the farmers will practically be throwing their life savings at us, which will more than likely be a bunch of crops. No worries, we can sell them at the market in Daejeon, I hear fruits and vegetables are expensive there. We can still make a profit regardless. And what about Jeonju, I hear there are no guards there. The crime is free for all._ ”

And just like that they’d be on their way to their destination, hearts set on riches. Of course, piracy and thievery were full time jobs. They had to get their hands dirty without arising the suspicion of the local authorities. Sometimes they managed to come out safe with their intended treasures, other times were spent being chased by city guards to the docks in sudden escapes. And of course, not everyone made it out, a few of their old shipmates were still imprisoned in other cities, awaiting their punishment or set to fulfill lifelong sentences. Life as a petty thief wasn’t as simple as sticking your hand in someone’s coin purse and hoping for the best. It too had consequences, ones that Jaemin made sure he was careful to avoid. While others were more eager to take on the more daring jobs in hopes of hitting the jackpot, he was much more content to take on petty jobs like stealing from commoners in the market or running scams at the city ports. It was pathetic and barely managed to scrounge him up a few silver, but it was easier outrunning port authorities and unarmed vendors than city guards and royal knights. Besides, Jaemin had learned that the life of a rogue was a balancing act. They had to steal to survive, but even then, they just barely made enough to make it worth it. So, they stole even more and that’s when the trouble came in. People like Na Jaemin were never satisfied, not when there was entire world out there that wasn’t his. The gold, the infamy, and the wealth – he wanted it _all_.

So, when the time came for him to step us as captain, Jaemin had done as he had seen Dohyun do numerous times before. It seemed to work for them, and it had been helping them survive after all this time. In the dim lighting of his chambers in the ship, Donghyuck had laid out the map before him. And Jaemin had only hesitated to gather all of the information from his memory before pointing quite confidently at the port of Bucheon. With the utmost confidence, Donghyuck had nodded, folding the map up and leaving for the deck to inform the crew to set sail for the city. That night Jaemin had tossed and turned in his slumber, unable to shake the feeling of restlessness. He was a strong believer of fate. And when a sudden storm struck them immediately upon changing course from Pohang to Bucheon, he realized that it was a bad omen, an omen that left him feeling physically ill from his anxiety as he watched his crew rush about endlessly to fight the rough currents and unpredictable torrents of rain.

Only once did he weakly call out to his crew for them to return the sail to Pohang, but Donghyuck had just shouted for them to ignore him and keep weathering the storm. He then proceeded to  
“escort” Jaemin back to his room, telling the pale, shaking captain that he didn’t look too well and should rest. And that was how Jaemin ended up locked in his room for several days. He was too nauseous to move, or even think at times. Instead, he could only stare weakly at the ceiling as the boat rocked from the intensity of the storm. His only company was Jisung every evening, who looked keener on fussing over his beloved bow (apparently, he had stolen it from the temple of an old elven god) than conversing with Jaemin, who was too delirious to even comprehend much even when the younger did decide to update him on matters on the deck.

Wishes were futile, fickle things. But at the moment, Na Jaemin has a list of several. He wishes Dohyun hadn’t been foolish enough to steal the princess of Daegu’s crown. He also wishes the man hadn’t been foolish enough to go bragging about it on the docks full of royal guards. He wishes _The Black Rose_ ran on a normal age seniority instead of that of who was more experienced. He even wished Donghyuck became the captain and not him. He also wished he hadn’t fallen ill due to his own nerves and then just maybe he wouldn’t be in his current situation.

Standing on the sturdy docks with Seoul just beyond him, he should have been elated. It wasn’t Bucheon – no, it was _better_. Seoul was the city of dreams, and while he might have been able to scrounge enough coin in Bucheon to tide them over until their next big scheme, whatever he would get his hands on Seoul would be leave them with extra to engage in extra luxuries (something that would surely excite Donghyuck, who very much enjoyed extended his steadily growing jewelry collection). There was only very small problem-

“What is the meaning of all of this?”

With it being early morning, the docks were just not springing to life. There were the tired faces of the dock workers as they began to drag in for yet another day of seemingly endless work in the unrelenting summer sun and the exhausted faces of other ship crews as they worked tirelessly to dock their vessels safely. And then there was pirate captain Na Jaemin, standing rather nervously in front of his own ship as the docking master shoved his way through the wide-eyed crowd that had gathered.

“I said, what is the meaning of this?” The beady eyes of the docking master narrow as they search the crowd before they finally land on Jaemin. The man stomps his way over then, thick work boots thumping against the wooden dock. Jaemin takes in the mans short cropped, dark hair, sun-kissed skin, and the angry red flush marring his face. Just as he opens his mouth to demand answers once more, he glances to the side and almost instantly his mouth drops in shock.

Jaemin himself can’t help but wince as he too looks over and takes in the sight of his crashed ship. _The Black Rose_ was a structure of pride, all dark cherry wood, sturdiness, and brawn. Now, the entire fore half was smashed in, courtesy of its not so neat docking at the port. It was Jaemin’s first time docking as a captain, and needless to say, he hadn’t known what he was doing. To make matters worse, three days of commandeering a ship through a hellish storm had left Donghyuck in a deep slumber that had left one of the shipmates with a dagger nearly slicing through his head for trying to wake him. A few clumsy, awkward commands and failed attempts to understand their mathematician’s explanation of _why_ they were going to crash and Jaemin could only stand on the deck and let out an agonized wail as he watched them do just that.

“H-Have you gone mad?” The docking master blurts out, turning to Jaemin with a look of utter disbelief. Granted, Jaemin didn’t really blame him. He really can’t help but to cringe in embarrassment as he takes in The Black Roses’ bowsprit strewn across the docks in a destroyed heap. With the entire fore half of the ship having crashed into the docking bridge, the bridge itself had collapsed, sinking into the water beneath it lifelessly. As the front half of the ship was missing, the rooms and quarters were very much visible. Much of the crew could be seen still standing on what was left of the deck, looking very much shell-shocked and equally as embarrassed as their captain.

“Um-“ Jaemin speaks up finally, a sheepish smile on his lips despite the embarrassed flush gracing his cheeks, “It was an accident?”

“An _accident_!” The docking master exclaims, earning a surprised yelp from Jaemin when he reaches over and grabs the younger by the collar, shaking him none too gently, “Yeah right, you little thief! Just look at you, come to steal from us in the great city and instead you make a mess of my docks in the process!”

“S-Steal?” Is Jaemin’s nervous response when the eyes of those in the crowd narrow at the mention of the word “thief”. With sudden strength he manages to push the docking master away, clearing his throat with a hesitant smile before he assures, “I would never steal, I assure you. We are merely tourists, yes tourists here to witness the great grandeur of Seoul.”

“Lies!” The docking master bellows before anyone can believe otherwise. And well, so much for laying low, Jaemin thinks bitterly. He watches as the older man looks about briefly before smirking deviously, “You lot have come here to rob us all blind, but it is you that will walk away with the empty pockets. Destroying my docks and crashing that monstrosity of a ship in my harbor will not go unpunished, which is why you now owe me a fee.”

“What kind of fee?” Another voice inquires before Jaemin can even be disturbed by the news. All eyes turn to the destroyed ship where a tall blond could be see walking forward with a white ash bow and arrow strapped to his back. His outfit screamed princely with his pristine pants and long-sleeved silk button down of black with garnet dragons imprinted in an intricate design. Then there was the eyepatch covering his left eye that Jaemin often joked truly gave him the ultimate “pirate feel” (the truth was the blond gotten a dagger to the eye from a temple guard while stealing his beloved bow). The blond approaches the edge of the crashed ship before jumping, extending his arms and landing on the docks with a certain grace that only he could posses only to then turn to the docking master with a rather bored expression despite his inquiry.

“What’s it matter to you, elf?” The docking master sneers, reminding Jaemin of just how different life was outside of _The Black Rose_. On the ship, they were a family. And they accepted each other, no matter their differences. But the outside world was still so very far behind, it seemed, and elves and magic users (mages) were still very much second-class citizens. As if to reaffirm this, Jaemin watches as the docking master glares at him, grunting flippantly at him, “You should really learn to keep your servants intact. Can’t dock a ship properly or keep your elf under control, what good are you?”

“What was what, human scum?” Jaemin had always known Jisung to always be rather calm, albeit a bit awkward and playful at times. But there was one thing that seemed anger him quite easily and that was any form of poor treatment due to his elven heritage. Despite his picturesque, princely features, Jisung was still an elf, the sharp, knife shape to his ears and his lithe, slender form and features made that much obvious. And as such, he was treated just as the other elves were, as servants and figures meant to meld under the demands of humanity. But there were those who chose to fight back, who would make their presence and voices be heard, even if by force. And that is why Jaemin isn’t too surprised when Jisung lines up an arrow in his bow quicker than any of them can blink. The blond’s glare is the most vicious Jaemin has ever seen as he stares the docking master down.

The docking master looks shocked (Jaemin figures the man would have never imagined an elf ever raising a weapon to him), glancing at Jaemin as if he might be able to “control” Jisung, but when the brunet makes no movement to do such a thing, he realizes that he should probably try to defend himself. They all watch as he growls menacingly before grabbing the mace strapped to his back, holding it up defensively. Jaemin himself, having shifted into the background a bit, prepares himself for a battle as well. The brunet hunches over slightly, hands lingering above the daggers strapped to his thighs. It was such a quick turn of events, but he didn’t see any other way out anymore. Still, that didn’t stop him from praying for some sort of diversion. And for once, the gods seem to hear his prayers and decide to answer them. Seeing as neither of the two boys before him are keen on attacking first, the docking master decides to make the first move. With a cry that Jaemin believes is more nasally than aggressive, the docking master raises his weapon as he charges. Jisung hesitates, finger lingering on his arrow. Just as he prepares to release it, a dagger comes whizzing into view. The crowd lets out shocked gasps as the weapon nicks the docking master’s hand, causing him to drop his weapon with a pained yelp, before the dagger is embedded into a wooden docking post with surprising accuracy.

“A mace to the head upon arrival? Well, doesn’t Seoul have just the nicest welcoming committee.”

Jaemin can’t help the smile that graces his face at the sight of the new arrival. Mischievous brown eyes watching them in amusement belong to a boy of average height. In black pants and an ivory colored silk button up revealing smooth, tan skin, he stood. Despite the ruffled state of his brunet hair, everything else about him seemed well put together from the glittery, honey-colored eyeshadow lining his eyes to the gold piercing embedded in his nose, linked to a chain that ran from his nose to his ear where a brilliant gold earring lined with emeralds could be seen. Donghyuck jumps from the ship then, landing with grace similar to that of Jisung. The docking master and the crowd watch him wearily as he approaches the docking post where his dagger had been embedded. He removes the weapon with skill, turning to the docking master with a small smirk.

“As entertaining as getting our brains smashed in may seem, we actually have standards, you know. And we prefer much nicer welcoming presents like silk and gold.” He says, pausing to take in the docking masters worn coat and shabby, frayed leather boots before adding with a smirk, “Which I’m sure you were probably able to afford in a past life or two-“

Commotion erupts in the crowd as two of the dock workers struggle to restrain the docking master, who struggles in their hold in his attempts to attack Donghyuck. Jisung still has the arrow lined in his bow, prepared to release it in the case that the man was able to escape and actually attempted to attack his shipmate. Meanwhile, Donghyuck is smirking as he runs his fingers along the blade of his dagger, as if there weren’t someone seconds from tackling him. Jaemin watches it all and figures that as the ship’s captain, he should really be diffusing the situation. They couldn’t afford being denied entrance into Seoul, not with their ship crashed in its docks. The thing is, he didn’t quite know how to talk himself out of such a situation. He lacked the cunning diplomacy Dohyun had, just another thing he fell short of as _The Black Roses’_ new captain.

“Excuse me, excuse me! City guard coming through, make way please!” Jaemin _hates_ the authorities, a natural feat of anyone in his line of work. But he can’t help but to feel relieved at the sight of the city guard emerging from the crowd. He realized then that the guard looked quite young for a guardsman, he had a certain youthfulness about him with his trustworthy gaze and the fact that the heavy plate armor customary of the guardsmen seemed to be swallowing him whole. Once he’s made it to the front, he seems to grow shy under the intensity of the crowd’s stares. The guardsman smiles a bit hesitantly before stating, “We received a complaint about commotion at the docks. Uhm – may I ask what happened here?”

“Guardsman Lee!” The docking master bellows before Jaemin can speak. The older man turns to the guardsman with a victimized look, pointing a shaky finger at Donghyuck, Jisung, and Jaemin before stammering out, “T-These boys – these _thieves_ , have made a mess of my docks. I’m telling you they’ve come here to rob us all! Just look at them! I demand you arrest them immediately.”

“Who are you calling a thief?” Donghyuck retorts, glaring at the docking master while Jisung sheaths his bow and arrow and folds his arms in front of his chest with a disinterested look.

“You know, your whole victim act would be much more believable if you weren’t carrying the mace that you intended brash our brains in with just now.” He comments dryly. Jaemin resists the urge to snicker when the docking master glances at the mace still held tightly in his hand, as does the guardsman.

“T-That is not true!” He still denies vehemently, face scarlet with embarrassment. He tosses the mace aside, the object hitting a dock worker in the leg who looks scandalized by the action. But the docking master is too busy glancing at the guardsman nervously as if the younger might see through his ruse now. But the Guardsman Lee appears to know the man and his extreme acting skills, and merely ignores him as he approaches the shipwrecked crew mates.

“Is this your vessel?” He asks the one at the front of the trio. Na Jaemin has known Lee Donghyuck for four years, and in those four years, he grew accustomed to the mischievous, exaggerated nature of the other boy. He was confident and wasn’t afraid to hit below the belt (physically as well). But the Donghyuck he sees now, staring at guardsman Lee as if he hadn’t even heard his question was nothing like that. Even Jisung seems perplexed, brow raised in amusement as he watches Donghyuck open his mouth, only for no words to come out. Guardsman Lee looks confused, but patient as he waits for the brunet to speak. And Jaemin finally decides to save his friend (though he did take great joy in watching him struggle).

“That would be me. She is my vessel.” He speaks up referring to _The Black Rose_. He steps forward then, bearing a disarming smile as he approaches the guardsman and explains, “I’m Jaemin, captain Na Jaemin. I can take accountability for the shipwreck. We were headed for Bucheon coming from Daegu and got caught in a nasty storm. My co-captain and I were bedridden on the days leading up to docking. We were simply unprepared. We had no intentions of docking here, or rather crashing here either.”

“And we don’t appreciate being called thieves either.” Donghyuck adds with a haughty glare aimed at the docking master, only for him to quickly grow embarrassed when the guardsman glances at him. He steps back quickly, grabbing Jisung’s arm and pulling the younger in front of him to hide his flushed face.

“I see. Well, no harm done.” Guardsman Lee smiles warmly, and Jaemin has to wonder if all of Seoul’s residents were this innocent and naive. The guardsman’s smile falters slightly when he glances at the ship crashed into the docks before his smile turns a bit awkward, “I guess… Anyway, I understand the trip from here to Daegu can be a bit rough. Your excuse makes sense. As such, you have permission to dock here in Seoul and seeing as, despite the commotion, you’ve caused no real harm, you may enter the city as well-“

“That is outrageous!” The docking master exclaims, face red with anger once more as he stares at the guardsman with a look of disbelief, sputtering, “You’d let these common thieves into the city to rob us all blind?”

“We cannot deny them entry because of mere accusations.” Guardsman Lee says simply, glaring at the docking master slightly as if annoyed with the man, before he seems to recover from his small slip and displays a look of patience instead as he glances between the two parties, “Now, please settle this once and for all.”

Jaemin spares a glance at the docking master who’s already staring at him in distaste. He realizes then that the older man is waiting for him to initiate some sort of reconciliation, but Jaemin himself doesn’t have much to offer. Yet again, he felt inadequate with the title of captain. He seemed to really be failing in the diplomacy department. Luckily, the docking master seems to realize this, and he eventually budges after a very heavy sigh.

“I suppose I could fix your vessel, especially if it means ridding the city of you all quicker.” The older man offers begrudgingly, only to raise his lowered head and add with a greedy grin, “But it will cost you, of course.”

“How much are we talking?” Jaemin asks, though he knows he’ll regret it.

“Five hundred sovereigns of course.” The docking master informs him with a smirk that indicates that he knows they don’t quite have that much coin. And it was true, they only had ten sovereigns on a good day.

“No way!” Donghyuck exclaims, an indignant scowl on his face. He glances at the guardsman helplessly as he mutters, “That’s highway robbery.”

“You all have caused a commotion on _my_ docks and have the audacity to question my fees.” The docking master retorts just as quickly with an offended glare.

“And you all did destroy a portion of the docks.” Guardsman Lee adds, looking at the caved in portions of the docking bridge with a small frown. Seeing as the older man seemed to now have the support of the guard, Jaemin found that he had no other choice but to give in. The ship did need to be fixed for them to leave and causing a further commotion would surely end with them imprisoned.

“We accept your terms, sir.” He says calmly, though the bitterness in his voice is hard to miss. He extends his hand as a form of newfound diplomacy as well.

“I’m glad you see it my way.” The docking master replies, glancing at the extended hand wearily before finally accepting it in a brief handshake, “We will work on fixing her up today. I assume it will take quite some time, maybe six months at the least. Though I can’t quite estimate how long, really. Anyway, I’ll be expecting payment before she can ever be released back into your custody again.”

Jaemin nods, though he can’t help the intense dread he feels. Six months? For six months they would be stuck in Seoul. On top of that, they now needed fix hundred sovereigns to leave after the six months was up. Silver was already hard to come by, so sovereigns were simply a rarity. Five hundred sovereigns could be saved up, but that was only if they didn’t do anything but steal, skip meals, and live on the bare minimum, and with a crew full of growing, greedy boys and men at his command, that was nearly impossible. At this rate, they’d probably be stuck in Seoul for _years_. Jaemin’s plan had been to start saving up enough with hopes of paying for Dohyun’s release one day. But now, even that had just gone down the drain.

“Well, now that you all have come to an agreement, I believe my job here is done.” Guardsman Lee speaks up with a relieved look. He turns to Jaemin and his two companions with a kind smile then, “Welcome to Seoul. Please be careful, commotion in the city is less tolerated than outside it’s gates. I hope you will find the city to your liking. And hopefully, we will meet again. Be careful and take care.”

With one last assuring smile, Guardsman Lee turns to leave. This time the crowd parts quite easily for him, and Jaemin can only watch before the dark-haired brunet disappears entirely. Once the guardsman is gone, the docking master turns to him with a distasteful glare.

“Fix hundred sovereigns in six months or else.” He sneers, jabbing his finger in the brunet’s direction with a harsh glare. He clears his throat then, shouting at the dock workers who were still lingering around to watch the display, “Well, what all you are standing around for? The docks won’t run themselves! Get back to work you lazy fools!”

The dock workers scramble into action then, hurrying off in different directions at the command from their boss. The docking master himself smirks in satisfaction at the sight. He offers one last menacing glare aimed at Jaemin before he too stalks off, heavy boots thumping against the sturdy wood of the docks. Jaemin watches him go before sighing and running a hand through his messy brunet hair. Turning away from his ship, he makes his way up the docks towards the city gates. He had no time to try to get his crew under control, so for the time being he’d leave them to their own devices. And he hoped that they wouldn’t manage to get themselves into even more trouble in doing so. He decided to have faith and believe that wouldn’t be the case. Besides, he had no time to worry about them. He now had several tasks ahead of them: find affordable lodging in the city for them, do a scope of the city and note the areas where he could possibly get away with a few schemes, and find out just how they were going to make five hundred sovereigns in six months.

“That was a bust.” Jisung murmurs as he falls into step beside Jaemin with Donghyuck slipping in the middle, looking every bit annoyed by the turn of events.

“I thought the city guards were supposed to be for the people, not the greedy people.” Donghyuck pouts with a bitter expression.

“Oh? Now you can talk?” Jaemin teases with an amused grin, “I thought you had lost your voice when the guardsman spoke to you.”

“Shut up!” Is Donghyuck’s embarrassed shout as shoves the ship captain with his free arm while Jisung snickers beside them. The Lee boy glowers, face flushed as he murmurs, “I was just surprised they treat people like us with common decency. It’s not hard to spot a few pirates from a mile away. I’m sure that guardsman knew who we were. But he still let us in regardless.”

“I caught onto that as well.” Jaemin replies with a frown. It still didn’t make sense to him. But Jisung just merely shrugs as if it doesn’t really matter.

“Here’s to hoping the rest of Seoul is just as clueless.” He mutters before seeming to realize their situation and bearing a somewhat hopeless look, “How are going to earn five hundred sovereign in six months? That’s impossible.”

“But we won’t let that docking brute win.” Donghyuck says, referring to the docking master. He cringes, shaking his head before murmuring, “I refuse to be bested by someone with such a hideous fashion taste.”

“You do realize the docking port isn’t a runway, right?” Jisung replies dryly, earning a glare from the Lee boy.

“And that’s where you’re wrong.” Donghyuck tells him before holding out his hands in a grand gesture, whispering, “The _world_ is a runway.”

“Can’t we start by selling him?” Jisung says to Jaemin as Donghyuck wanders off in front of them, making various dramatic poses. The blond rolls his sole eye before adding, “I’m sure can get at least thirty silver, maybe fifty if we tape his mouth shut. That’s enough to get the entire ship a few hot meals.”

“No worries, my friend.” Jaemin assures with an amused smile, having regained his confidence from the antics of his companions. He slings an arm around the blond’s shoulder as he claims, “Anything we want in this city, we’ll take it. Five hundred sovereigns is nothing, we’ll have _millions_.”

“That seems easier said than done.” Jisung mutters just as they approach the gates. The sight of the guardsmen standing before it with their plated army and serious, dutiful expressions make him nervous. They nod tersely at the sight of the three boys before motioning for the brilliant golden gates to be opened. Jisung holds his breath as the large structure is pulled aside slowly and the sight of Seoul is revealed to them. From his knowledge, the city was comprised of several sections and this was just the town itself. Still, the town was bustling with life. People rushed back and forth among the tall, rust colored buildings, some with wagons, others with vendor stands. The chatter was endlessness and the activity made their head spin. The place screamed adventure, and the finery and silk worn by its inhabitants screamed wealth and money.

“I have a feeling five hundred sovereigns won’t be hard to come by in a place like this.” Jaemin comments as they watch a woman rush by, her coin purse nearly falling out of her bag. But just as Jaemin makes move to pick pocket her, a hand reaches out and pulls him back.

“Do you really want to go about stealing when one of the city guards knows our face and the master of brutes is practically salivating at the prospect of us getting into trouble?”

“Oh, come on!” Jaemin whines, proving why he had chosen Donghyuck as his second in command. Sometimes he could be irrational and just _sometimes_ the Lee boy could be a bit more rational than him. Still, he can’t help but to pout as he watches the clueless woman continue to hurry further into the city and further out of his reach, “She was practically asking to be robbed!”

“No, no robbing.” Donghyuck tells both he and Jisung, who was staring at a set of arrows on display at a nearby vendor’s stand, firmly. He glances around the bustling city then, claiming, “We need to find real, honest work.”

“But where?” Jaemin inquires, still pouting at the loss of the woman’s coin purse. Judging by the extravagant silks she had been wearing, there was no doubt that she was probably loaded. But now, she was gone. The group of boys walk further into the city, looking around for any “help wanted” signs or other forms of honest work. But the place was mostly filled with vendors shouting about their “rare” goods and customers eager to buy things that they didn’t really needed. After a few minutes of fruitless wandering, Jaemin realized that their best bet of making a profit was to become vendors as well. But what would they even sell? With a small sigh, the brunet is nearly ready to give up and return to their ship, only for a particular shout to catch his attention.

“Come one come all, the greatest expedition of all time awaits! Millions of sovereigns guaranteed!”

Millions of sovreigns? That sounded like music to Na Jaemin’s ears, which is why, without second thought, he follows the shouting over to its source. Jisung and Donghyuck seem to catch on without second thought, trailing along behind him as well. The source is a rather tall brunet with one of the largest swords Jaemin has ever seen strapped to his back. That and it seemed to be enchanted, glowing an iridescent ruby color every so often. Despite the intimidating sword, the man bearing it wore an easy-going grin.

“Welcome friends!” He exclaims quite cheerfully, only to be interrupted by a blank-faced Jisung.

“Tell us about the million sovereigns.” He demands bluntly, but the brunet man merely laughs.

“That’s the spirit!” He exclaims, motioning to the other people that seemed to be with him that they hadn’t noticed before. There were quite a few of them, all armed and just as enthusiastic as the brunet sans a dark-haired male who looked more bored than anything as he wrote down things on a piece of parchment, “My name is Johnny Seo, that is my beloved friend Younghyun. We are looking to hire skilled hands for an expedition into the underground. Legend has it that all of the jewels and treasure hidden beneath Seoul is worth millions. Of course, it is a dangerous trip, but with enough skilled fighters we can almost guarantee our safety. And those who make it out will leave with millions, guaranteed. So, would you like to sign up?”

Jaemin blinks, trying to process everything the man had said. The underground? From what Jaemin knew, the underground of Seoul specifically was littered with demons summoned during the war between the mages and the knights several decades ago. Jaemin himself had encountered a few demons in his lifetime of scouring cities, and he found that it was all a matter of willpower. If you could resist the demons attempts to tempt you, then defeating it was only the real concern. But, if they had enough skilled fighters, taking down a few demons would be no problem, right? And Johnny had claimed that they’d leave as millionaires, a feat that Jaemin could really use considering his situation. It was all quite simple, really.

“Sign us up.” Jaemin says finally, watching as Johnny grins widely in response.

“Excellent!” He exclaims, before waving Younghyun over. The dark-haired male seems to sigh before making his way over. Without taking his eyes off of his parchment, he inquires-

“Names?”

“Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck, and Park Jisung.” Donghyuck speaks up, watching as Younghyun nods, scribbling down their names on the list before glancing at Johnny.

“Oh right.” Johnny perks up under his friend’s gaze, seemingly remembering something. He stares at the trio seriously then before asking, “To help fund the expedition were asking for one-hundred sovereign from all participants. Since you all have signed up together, I’ll give you a little deal and let the hundred sovereign count for all three of you. So, tell me. Would you like to pay now or on the day of the trip?”

“One hundred sov-“ Donghyuck starts in disbelief, only to have a hand slapped over his mouth by Jisung, who smiles assuringly at a concerned looking Johnny and Younghyun.

“The day of.” The blond says, followed by a nervous laugh, “We don’t want to invest until we’re sure about it.”

“Sure thing.” Johnny replies with an easy-going smile, “The expedition won’t get underway until another three months or so. We want to make sure we have enough volunteers and supplies. Also, we’re having quite some difficulty obtaining decent maps of the underground… But, let me not bore you with the details. For now, consider yourselves temporary signs up, meaning if you decide to pull out last minute, we’ll have back ups ready to replace you. If you have any questions or concerns, I have a room at the Bloody Tempest Inn. Just ask the inn keeper for Youngho and I shall appear!”

“The Bloody Tempest Inn?” Jisung repeats with a frown before murmuring, “That sounds very… _bloody_.”

“Ah, I’ll admit it’s not the most pleasant-sounding place.” Is Johnny’s seemingly embarrassed response as he rubs at the back of his neck with sheepish smile before shrugging, “But at least it’s convenient.”

“Convenient or an actual death trap?” Younghyun speaks up for the first time. Though his tone is bland, his expression is mostly neutral as he says to the trio before them, “We appreciate your interest in our expedition. Take care, friends.”

Seeing as the conversation has neared its end, Jaemin nods in acknowledgement of the elder’s words before turning to leave with Donghyuck and Jisung in tow.

“Take care! And remember to keep in touch!” They can hear Johnny call out before the crowd swallows them whole.

Perhaps getting their ship fixed wouldn’t be so hard after all. They’d simply go on the expedition and walk out with enough to get _The Black Rose_ fixed and then some. But first, they had to come up with one-hundred sovereigns to solidify their spots on the expedition itself.

“What now?” Donghyuck asks once they’ve melded in with the crowded city once more, back to walking around aimlessly.

“Now, we find the Bloody Tempest Inn.” Jaemin says, a smirk on his face that lets both Jisung and Donghyuck know that the next few months of Seoul would be nothing less than an adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Bloody Tempest Inn isn’t very bloody, they’re surprised (and relived) to find out. Well, that is if you don’t count the smudged puddle of blood near the entrance upon walking in. That and the thick air of smoke that makes Jisung choke are enough to make Donghyuck frown. A group of men are playing cards loudly, but apparently one starts to cheat which ends with another tossing the table aside and tackling him, a fight breaking out entirely. At the bar, a drunken man is singing horribly about his wife, who apparently is leaving him soon. On top of it all, the floors creak horribly under their weight, as if the entire place might collapse into itself entirely. Still, Jaemin marches straight to the bar where the Innkeeper is polishing a glass.

“Excuse me, how much is the lodging here?” He asks politely.

“It’s free.” The man replies gruffly, “Surviving is the fee.”

“Well, that’s reassuring.” Donghyuck mumbles sarcastically, earning an elbow from Jaemin, who continues to force a smile for the innkeeper.

“Great, I need an entire floor for my shipmates and I.” He informs the man.

“You can have the second floor.” The innkeeper tells him, motioning to a set of rickety looking stairs before he glances at the fighting men near the entrance, “I’m sure some of them will be dead by tonight after they beat each other to death.”

Jisung winces at the sound of the brutal punches being exchanged between the men, the blood covering their faces, and how one man is beating another with the wooden table.

“Well that’s … nice. Thank you for your hospitality.” Jaemin tells the elder, though he can’t help but to think that if the place wasn’t free, they would have long since ran for the hills.

“Whatever, just don’t forget to lock your doors at night.” The innkeeper replies, sliding a set of keys their way before heading to the opposite end of the bar to wipe the drool pooling from the drunken man’s mouth.

“It’s just for a few months.” Jaemin assures his two companions who don’t look quite convinced.

The brunet leads the way to the stairs, forcing a smile as the wood creaks even worse than on the main floor. Jisung’s boot goes right through the wood of a middle step, the blond’s face going red as he pulls his foot from the hole. Jaemin glances back, praying the innkeeper hasn’t noticed because he doesn’t want to pay for such a thing. The innkeeper is staring directly at them and instead of demanding payment for a repair, he _laughs_ before shaking his head in amusement. Both relieved and concerned at the reaction, Jaemin hurries the rest of the way up the stairs.

On the second floor, they found that though there were few rooms, they were rather large which meant that the crew would have to share. But they were used to sharing anyway as space on the ship was limited much of the time. Eventually, Jisung, Donghyuck, and Jaemin decide to share a room in the very middle, in case the rest of the crew needed to find them for something. This particular room was average sized. It had three beds lined up in a row, all covered with dull gray sheets and a surprisingly stark white pillow. There were several maps on the walls, which greatly pleased Jaemin, a vanity was tucked in one corner, much to Donghyuck’s absolute delight, and there was a dart board hung on the wall, which was perfect for Jisung to practice his archery indoors. Despite the grime and dust that seemed to surround them, they still managed to find some joy in their current situation.

Jaemin plops down on his bed with a sigh, Jisung and Donghyuck following suit on their own respective bed’s moments later. The trio stare at the dust colored ceiling in silence then, minds all set on a hundred sovereigns. It’s Jaemin who laughs tiredly before blurting out –

“What’s a few months or even a year here? In the end, we’ll be _millionaires_.”

And so, began the start of their journey in the city of dreams.

 

 

 

 

 

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Heart beating loudly in his chest, Mark Lee hurriedly makes his way into the Royal Keep, where Seoul’s royal family resided. The city guards had their own hall in the place as well for them to carry out their duties and receive orders. After every job they were meant to report back to the guard captain, which is exactly what Mark was rushing to do. He really detested the plate armor they were required to wear, not only was it heavy, but during the summer being constricted by so much material in the sweltering sun made him sweat horribly. Even in the cool air of the Keep, he felt as if he might have a heat stroke any minute. The brunet guard grips the edge of the stairs leading to the second floor momentarily before rushing up them. What he’s not expecting when he looks up is to stare directly into the face of Seoul’s prince.

“Y-Your highness!” Mark squeaks out before promptly losing his footing. He nearly falls completely, but manages to catch himself, gripping the stair for support. Face flushed and burning with embarrassment, he uses the stair to push himself back to his feet where the prince is eying him with amusement.

“Are you okay?” Jeno asks, seeming genuinely concerned despite his amusement.

“M-Me? Oh, I’m fine! Great actually!” Mark shouts, perhaps a bit too loudly. His encounters with the prince seemed to grow awkward by the day. But Jeno seemed more than used to the awkwardness by now.

“That’s good. Take care, friend.” Is Jeno’s kind response. He pats Mark’s shoulder rather gently, offering a small smile before heading down the stairs with the grace only royalty could possess.

“T-Thank you, you too your highness!” Mark calls back, cringing at his own quirky behavior.

Ignoring the snickering from the senior guards who always found encounters between Mark and the prince to be the best source of entertainment, Mark continues his journey up the stairs. On the second floor, he turns right, watching as the plush royal blue carpet beneath his feet transitions to a deep red. Pretty soon, he was standing before the guard captain’s office door. Mark hesitates, as he always does before finally knocking.

“Come in.” He hears not a second later. The brunet guard takes a deep breath to calm his nerves before entering. The guard captain is reading documents at his desk, and as if its his first time in the elder’s office all over again, Mark takes in the numerous book shelves lining each wall. How someone could be so well put together, Mark would never know. The younger guard seats himself in the chair in front of the captain’s desk.

“Reporting back about the docks?” Guard captain Moon Taeil asks without taking his eyes off of his documents. Mark nods, though he knows the elder isn’t looking at him.

“It was just a misunderstanding between the docking master and a few travelers. They crashed a bit of their ship into the docks but have agreed to compensate the docking master in exchange to have the ship and the docking bridge fixed.” Mark reports, watching as Taeil processes the information before nodding.

“I see. I’m glad it was settled peacefully.” He says finally, sighing before finally looking up from his documents. He hesitates before admitting, “I’m glad it wasn’t anything too serious as well. For some reason, crime has been on the rise lately. But luckily we have guards like you to keep the city safe.”

Except Mark had let in what he was sure was an entire pirate crew and their captain into the city this morning. But he dared not blurt such a thing out as he treasured his life. Instead, he waits patiently until he’s dismissed.

“Good work, Mark. You’re free for the day.” Taeil says finally, giving him one last grateful smile before returning his attention to his documents. Mark doesn’t waste any time then, bowing respectfully though he knows the elder isn’t paying attention, before leaving. Once he’s pulled the door closed behind him, Mark’s facade _shatters_ completely. He clutches his chest where he can feel anxiety stirring heavily, threatening to consume him. As a guard, his job was to protect the city. Surely, he hadn’t been doing that by letting thieves into it. He hadn’t been thinking and had definitely made a grave mistake. He couldn’t go back inside and tell Taeil about it either, he’d lose his job and receive a harsh punishment on top of that. No, he’d have to fix his mistake on his own. He’d have to keep an eye on those thieves, which meant he’d have to start digging around the rougher parts of the city. But it had to be done. With a weary sigh, Mark Lee gathers what’s left of himself and hope he can catch guardsman Lee Taeyong before he goes on break in order to get his shifts changed to night, alleyway duty.

He had a feeling that these next few months would be very eventful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
